Base for electric lamps and similar devices



Aug. 10,1943. R 3. pm 2,326,336

BASE FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS AND SIMILAR DEVICES Filed Jun a, 1942ilnvaw'kor: A Roscoe 5. Dick,

- His Afforneg.

Patented Aug. 10, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASE FOR ELECTRICLAMPS AND SIDIILAR DEVICES Roscoe S. Dick, Conneaut, Ohio, assignor toGemeral Electric Company,

York

a corporation of New Application June 8, 1942, Serial No. 446,225

9 Claims. (01. 176-32) in which only a small amount of relativelyinexpensive insulation is required. Various other features andadvantages of the invention will become apparent from the description ofspecies and forms of embodiment, and from the drawing.

In the drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 are tilted inside and outside views of afluorescent lamp base embodying the invention, a portion of the skirt ofthe base being shown broken away in Fig. 2; Fig. 3 shows an axialsection of the base applied to a lamp, which is shown in side elevation;and Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the parts of the base, which are showntilted.

Fig. 5 is an outside end view of a modified base construction; Fig. 6shows an axial section therethrough, taken as indicated by the line andarrows B6 in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a similar view illustrating amodification; and Fig. 8 is a similar view showing another modification.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to another modification.

Figs. 10 and 11 are tilted views illustrating modified forms of theprincipal base parts; Fig. 12 is an outside end view of a base embodyingthe parts shown in Figs. 10 and 11; and Fig. 13 is a sectional viewtaken as indicated by the line and arrows |3--|3 in Fig. 12.

Figs. 14 and 15 are views similar to Figs. 11 and 12 illustrating asimplified form of construction.

In general appearance, as shown in Figs. 14, my new terminal or basestructure B resembles those now in common use, comprising a trans 'sideof the disc. Instead of being a separate insulative member, as usual,the disc -2|] here shown is a sheetmetal-web integral with 'the shell orskirt 22, both these parts being of sheet metal. Such a sheet metal cupor pan structure is easily Fig. 4 illustrating yet formed by a diepunching and drawing operation, out of thin gauge mild steel, which maybe of 0.010 inch thickness. To provide for insulating the contactterminals or posts 2|, 2| from the sheet metal -and from each other,they are mounted on an insulative web structure 24 that coincidessubstantially with a flanged opening 25 (see Fig. 4) in the sheetmetalwall or disc member 20. ferred to the member 20 as a disc, because ofits circular outline as illustrated, though it will be understood thatno particular outline for the member 20 is essential to my invention.

As here shown, the web 24 is double, comprising counterpart oblong,round-ended insulative plates 26, 21 at opposite sides of the disc 20.In forming a flanged edge for the opening 25, the

a margin of the disc 20 at the opening may be oilset, joggled, ordisplaced laterally inward from the general plane of the disc 20 adistance about equal to the thickness of the outer plate 26, so

as to form a rabbeted oblong seat 28 for this plate 26 and allow itsouter surface to be about flush with that of the sheet metal disc. As

shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the disc 20 may be strengthened andstiifened by means of depressed '(or inward-embossed) half-round ribs 29extendthe engagement means afforded by the flange 30, Figs. 3 and 4,that results from the offset conformation. When the base B is placed onone end of the lamp tube L, as shown in Fig. 3, after the application ofordinary basing cement 3|, the lead wires 32, 32 from the cathode 33 arepassed through the hollow biposts 2|, 2|, and are afterward soldered orwelded into these posts and out off, in the usual way. As shown in Figs.2, 3, and 4, the inner plate 21 may have a central hole or recess 34 toaccommodate the lamp exhaust tip 35 with suflicient clearance.

Otherretaining means for holding the insulative plate 26 in the seat 28are illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. As here shown, the joggledconformation of the sheet metal around the seat 28 l is interrupted atpoints near the ends of the seat I have here and hereinafter-reand atright angles to it.

of unoffset portions of the sheet metal ofthe disc 26. These ears 66 mayinitially be bent outward about at right angles to the disc 26, as shownin dot and dash lines in Fig.- 6, to facilitate insertion of theinsulative plate 26 in the seat 26, and then bent back against the,outer surface of the plate 26 (flush with the disc 20, or nearly so) to,hold the plate 26 securely in place in the seat. Located as shownnear'the ends of the plate 26 and the biposts 2|, 2|, the ears 36 arevery effective in resisting any tendency of the plate 26 to twistaske'w, by mounting the edges of the seat, when torque is applied to thebiposts in installing the la'mp L or removing it. As shown at 31 in Fig.7, the extreme inner ends of the lugs 36 may be bent and locked intocorresponding indentations in the insulative plate 26. If the plate 26is thick and stiff enough, the ears or lugs 36 may allow the inner plate21 to be dispensed with altogether, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7; but ifthe plate 26 is thin or not so stifi, the innerplate 21 may be employedas well as the lugs or ears 36, as shown in Fig. 8,

as an additional means of holding the plate 26 v in the seat 28, besidesproviding greater stiffness.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 9 combines with the features ofFigs. 1-4 the use of lugs or cars 36a, 36a extending inward from theedge of the rabbeted seat 28 at either end and engaged in notches 38, 38in the ends of the inner plate 210, so as to provide additionalengagement against turning of both plates 26a, 21a, which are securedtogether by the biposts 2|, 2!.

Figs. -13 illustrate a modification in .which the flanging and-therabbeted seat around the opening 25 are dispensed withFig. 10and therather thick, stiff insulative plate 26b has its edge flanged andrabbeted at 28b, Fig. 11, to seat against the sheet metal margin aroundthe opening 25. At the opposite ends of the opening 25, there are lugsor ears 36b, 36b extending inward .in notches 36b, 38b in the flange ofthe plate 26b, very much as in the-case of the lugs 16a and notches 38in Fig. 9, and thus providing additional engagement against turning ofthe plate. The ends 31b of the lugs 36!; are bent over on theinnersurface of the plate 26b,.to hold it seated and antiturningly engaged asabove described. The ears or lugs 36b may be formed as tongues ofthesheet metal of the disc 26, left projecting into the opening 25 whenthe latter is punched, as shown in Fig. 10, and afterward bent up; orthey may be bent up as shown in -dot and dash lines in Fig. 13 by thefinal move- Throughout the drawing, homologous parts are marked with thesame reference numerals in order to dispense with repetitivedescription, distinctive letters being added where such distinction ofmodified parts appears necessary.

It is apparent that the amount of insulating the plate 260 materialrequired for the plates 26, 26a, 26b, 26c,

21, 21a, 21d is much less than when the whole .end wal1 or web of thebase is of insulation, as is now usual. Furthermore, the insulation forthese plates may consist of relatively inexpensive indurated fiber, ascontrasted with the more costly and less available Bakelite or plasticheretofore used for the end walls of fluorescent lamp bases.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end of an envelope, said disc having therein an opening,an insulative plate laterally seated against said sheet metal disc oversaid opening, bipost con tacts fixed in said insulative plate withinsaid opening, and thus insulated from the sheetmetal and from oneanother, engagement means on said sheet metal disc displaced laterallyfrom the plane thereof and antitumingly engaged with said insulativeplate, and means for holding said insulative plate to said sheet metaldisc in engagement with its said engagement means as aforesaid.

2. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end of an enevelope, said disc having therein anopening, an insulative plate seated and antiturningly engaged in saidopening, bipost contacts fixed in said insulative plate within saidopening, and thus insulated from the sheet metal and from one another,and retaining means attached to said-insulative plate overlapping thesheet metal disc at the other side thereof from the aforesaid insulativeplate.

3. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end of an envelope, said disc having therein an opening,an insulative plate over said Opening laterally seated against the sheetmetal of said disc and having notches in its margins, bipost contactsfixed in said insulative plate within said opening, and thus insulatedfrom the sheet metal and from one another; and projections on said discantiturningly engaged in said notches, with means for holding saidinsulative plate to said disc with the disc projections in the marginalplate notches as aforesaid.

4. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end of an envelope, said disc having therein an opening,an insulative plate over said opening laterally seated against the sheetmetal of said disc and having notches in its margins, bipost contactsfixed in said insulative plate within said opening, and thus insulatedfrom the sheet metal and from one another, and lugs on said disc bentlaterally therefrom and engaged in said notches, and also bent over onthe plate margins to hold the plate to the disc.

5. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end of an envelope, said disc having therein an openingwith an oflset margin forming a rabbeted seat, an insulative platesecured and antiturningly engaged in said rabbeted seat, and bipostcontacts fixed in said insulative plate within said opening, and thusinsulated from the sheet metal and from one another.

6. A base of the character described compris- .ing a sheet metal disc,for mounting at the end of an envelope, said disc having therein anopening with an oil-set margin forming a rabbeted seat, an insulativeplate antiturningly engaged in said rabbeted seat, another insulativeplate en-' gaging said offset margin at the other side thereof, andbipost contacts riveted through said plates within said opening, wherebythe first-mentioned plate is secured in said seat, while said bipostcontacts are insulated from the sheet metal and from one another.

'7. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end of an envelope, said disc having therein an openingwith an oflset margin forming a rabbeted seat, an insulative plateantiturningly engaged in said rabbeted seat, retaining means on saidsheet metal disc overlapping said insulative plate at the other sidefrom the rabbeted seat, and bipost contacts fixed, in said insulativeplate within said opening, and thus insulated from the sheet metal andfrom one another.

8. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end or an envelope, said disc having therein an openingwith an ofiset margin forming a rabbeted seat, an insulative plateantiturningly engaged in said rabbeted seat, another insulative plateengaging said offset margin at the other side thereof from thefirst-mentioned insulative plate, and secured to the latter, one of saidplates having notches in its margins, and lugs on. said disc bentlaterally therefrom and engaged in said notches.

9. A base of the character described comprising a sheet metal disc, formounting at the end of an envelope, said disc having therein an openingwith an offset margin forming a rabbeted and bipost contacts rivetedthrough said' plates within said opening, whereby the first-mentionedplate is secured in said seat, and yet said bipost'

